This is a public service announcement. Some of you may have heard of TED talks. Some of you may not. The point of this post is to educate you on how awesome these are. They've been on my radar for a while now, but today I was going through a watching binge and decided I needed to share.

The thing is, to be a writer, one must learn. Not just about one subject, but as much as you can. A closed mind doesn't imagination make. But the more we learn, the more we are able to imagine, and in turn, the more we can create. TED talks is fantastic due to the fact it's over so many topics, including ones you may never have heard of. I don't think I'd ever have watched something on how bacteria 'talk' to one another, but really, it's sort of fascinating. I'm sure somebody could use that as a plot device, and it would be AWESOME. Does science ruin wonder? He makes some very valid points, all while being entertaining. I'll admit, the talk of entropy and so forth in this one goes a little over my head, but go and watch the talk about the universe. J.J. Abrams has a nice little talk about mystery boxes. And while I don't always agree with his version of a mystery (I happen to agree more with JMS, who resolves things every few episodes to create greater mysteries rather than just piling mystery on top of mystery, which is what Lost was from what I've seen and heard of it), he makes some great points in there.

So my point is, don't just watch things that you would have interest in or would agree with. Pick something random and watch, and by extension, learn. Imagination is a fickle thing that can take on any numerous creations, and the more you know, the more you can draw from. And who knows what will give you that spark? Hell, I've researched the molecules of milk before, so you really never know what you can use. So watch a few of them that strike your fancy, a few that don't, and enjoy your learning experience.

In short, TED talks are awesome and everyone should be aware of them. LET IT CONSUME YOUR LIFE.